After my father passed away last August, we decided it was time to sell our house and build our dream home.  We had been living in a small, but comfortable little ranch-style house right next door to my parents since 2007.  My husband bought the house and moved in a year before we got married.  His reason:  to be near my parents so we can help them.  Awe, made me love him all the more.  We told ourselves that we would stay in our little ranch house as long as my parents needed us.  Both of my parents are now gone and it was time for us to step out and move on.  Start that new chapter in our life.

I had been lusting after a lot about ¾ of a mile from where we currently live, but it belonged to someone else (my former boss).  She and her husband had purchased it years before with the intent to build a home.  Things happened in her life and her plans had to change.  Five years later she contacts me and offers us the lot at a great price.  We are in business now!!!  We had a house plan we loved and after a little research, determined it would fit on the lot.  A match made in heaven.  We started the process in October and each day that passes is a day closer we are to moving in.  But if you have ever built a home, you know that patience is more than a virtue, it is mandatory.

We were very fortunate that our house sold in about two months.  Yea we won’t have to have two mortgages.  But that does mean that we will be moving twice (bummer).  We still own my parent’s home next door so we moved in about 6 weeks ago and we tell each other that we are “camping”.  Well I don’t mind camping, but I really don’t want to do it more than about a week and a week would be pushing it.  We are surrounded by boxes and walking paths through the boxes.  One of the bedrooms is nothing but boxes and just a little path to the closet that houses my clothes.  I know where nothing is and can find nothing when I need it.  Even the stuff I kept out so I would know where it is eludes me.

We kept out a few cooking utensils too, but I’m telling you, my mother’s kitchen is a disaster.  I don’t know how she cooked all those delicious meals in it.  First off, I can’t seem to turn the correct burner on.  Yesterday I’m waiting for a burner to heat up when I realized I had the wrong burner on and was smoking up the kitchen.  It was a miracle that the smoke alarms did not go off.  Now I’m wondering why they didn’t go off.  Hmmm, may be something that needs to be checked.  Then there is the issue of its size, too small.  No storage and no counter space.   And the absolute worst part, NO DISHWASHER.  Yes you heard me, NO DISHWASHER.    I don’t like to do dishes and the hubs doesn’t like to do dishes.  I think we wait each other out to see who gives in first.  The sinks in this 1955 house are smaller than sinks today.  They can hold about 4 cereal bowls at a time and if you actually cook a meal, you are washing dishes and drying dishes and putting up dishes for about 45 minutes.  Did I mention that I hate washing dishes?

Then there’s the bathroom.  Yes, ONE bathroom.  One sink, one toilette, one tub/shower combination.  The hubs and I do quite the dance in the morning trying to get ready.  Invariably I want to brush my teeth and that same time he wants to brush his teeth, or I need to dry my hair when he needs to dry his hair, or I need to put hairspray in my hair and he can’t handle my hair spray.  Of course, there’s the whole issue of one toilette, need I say more. If I take a little longer in the shower, and I usually do, sometimes he runs out of hot water when he showers.  Oops, my bad.  Sometimes he decides to come in and shave while I’m in the shower.  Then I have no hot water.  Oops, his bad.

It is funny how you get used to the simple luxuries, so when you are without them, it is very hard.  Our patience runs thin some days and we just have to keep reminding ourselves and each other, this too shall pass.  When we can go over to the new house and see progress, it makes it easier.  Even though I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel yet and I don’t know how much longer we will be camping, it is exciting to think about the start of a new chapter in our lives.  So I guess I need to just put on my “big girl” panties and get over myself.